Rockwell Wins Contract to Continue MX Project

Rockwell International’s Rocketdyne division was awarded a $108-million contract for continued production of the fourth stage of the MX missile.

Under the contract, Rocketdyne will build 22 more fourth-stage sections. The parts for the MX, also known as the Peacekeeper, are to be delivered to the Air Force by mid-1988. About 350 employees work on the project, and Rocketdyne said it expects no new hiring for the job.

Rocketdyne already has delivered seven fourth-stage units under a $91.9-million contract granted in 1984. That contract was for 23 sections. Program Manager Paul Fuller said the new contract is higher because propellant tanks and a warranty clause were added.

Canoga Park-based Rocketdyne, which also builds the main engines for the Space Shuttle, began design work for the MX missile stage in 1978. A prototype was delivered in 1982.